1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is novel low cost binoculars.
2. Description of the Related Art
Novel binoculars which may be produced inexpensively and sold at low cost are common concession items at sporting events or other spectator events where the action takes place at some distance from the fans. For example, a low cost binocular would be quite useful at baseball, football, hockey, and to some extent, basketball games where the spectator is interested in following the movement of the ball and of the players in close detail.
Foldable binoculars of the above description are known and available, for example, Green in U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,111 discloses a low-cost folding binocular which may be collapsed to a relatively thin package. This novel binocular is constructed of a laminated synthetic plastic or pressed paper with the objective and eye piece lenses on opposite sides of a box-like construction. Focus adjustment is effected by longitudinal folding of the case along creased fold lines which permit the distance between the objective and the ocular or eye piece lenses to be changed.
Other novel binoculars are known, for example, Natsume in U.S. Pat. No. 3,397,935 constructs a binocular from a cup wherein the objective lens are located at one circular end of the cup and the ocular or eye piece len are located at the opposite circular end of the cup.
Lastly, another novel binocular is constructed much like the binocular of Natsume where in Erickson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,009,567, two telescoping slidable boxes have the objective lens at one end and the ocular lens at the opposite end and focus is achieved by sliding one of the boxes relative to the other.
With the exception of the device shown by Natsume, all of the prior art above known to the inventor are single purpose novel binocular which is of special construction and which is not conducive as a promotion to be given away by what might be the most logical vendor at a sports event, namely a beverage vendor of soft drinks or light alcoholic beverages such as beer.
While the cup of Natsume would function as a promotional advertising and goodwill advertisement of a beverage bottler, yet the cup formed is not readily stackable because it does not have conical sides and therefore, not being stackable, the volume occupied by empty cups is so great, use at a sporting event is clearly discouraging. In addition, if the removable top is separated from the cup, the function of the binocular is similarly lost.
Accordingly, it is apparent that if a low cost novel binocular can be constructed in the shape of a conically shaped cup, so as to render the cups stackable and where the cup, after usage holding a beverage, could easily be converted into the binocular, there is great value as a promotional device or sellable item at a sports event or any other place where it is desired to view an object with a pair of binoculars.